Nevertheless She Persisted
By Peggy Brockman
In 1987, Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month in perpetuity. A special Presidential Proclamation is issued every year which honors the extraordinary achievements of American women.
In President Jimmy Carter’s message to the nation designating March 2-8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week, he said: “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”
The 2018 Women’s History Month theme is “Nevertheless She Persisted”. I remember my mother’s retirement ceremony in the mid 1980’s. She worked for the government as a System’s Analyst – but she didn’t start there. She started as a secretary – practically the only job a woman could get in the early 1950’s. I remember people speaking of her tenacity for getting what she deserved and rightfully earned over her tenure. She retired a GS-11 and in 1984, in spite of The Equal Pay Act of 1963, that was unheard of for a woman. She was one of the first if not THE first GS-11 grade females in government employment history. It didn’t come easy…Nevertheless she persisted!
She wasn’t afraid to fight for what was rightfully hers as a woman. She was doing the job of her male counterparts but was not given the title or pay structure because “she should be home raising her four kids”. Nevertheless, she persisted. One of the greatest gifts my mother gave me was to teach me to always be willing to go after what I wanted in life. Fight the fight for what is rightfully yours.
Women can multitask, see the big picture, read situations and negotiate quite well. They can lead from both the heart and the head and are very good at being servant leaders – something every leader should strive to be. They are willing to work hard to learn and they are great at persisting and seeking better ways to do things.
I remember one time my mother had to work late, and my dad took the four children to the parade downtown. He lost one of us, struggled to keep everyone together and basically it became a fiasco that we all laugh about now. He was a great leader in his career field and he was an amazing, father…when we were all contained at home. But mother could do it all. She worked full time and managed four kids and was room mother at the school AND despite all the struggles, nevertheless she persisted.
For all the women reading this article – be proud of who you are and what you do. Being a mom alone is a heroic job, but that AND working a job, or sometimes two or three, is simply amazing
I am proud to carry on the example and of seeing my five daughters being amazing professional women. Women – I celebrate you this month. Live your passion – discover your dreams – create the future you want and live these three words…Nevertheless She Persisted!
**Peggy teaches others to BreakThrough and create their best year EVER! She is the author of “10 Feet from the Edge: Stuck in the Comfort Zone” available on Amazon. You can reach her by email at [email protected] or by phone at 850-259-8356. Peggy is a John Maxwell Team keynote motivational speaker, corporate trainer and coach. Her website – www.peggybrockman.com.
